H.R. 4101: Fair Debt Collection Practices Clarification Act of 2012

112th Congress · introduced 2012-02-28 · Finance and Financial Sector · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2012-02-28 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Frank, Barney [D-MA-4] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Fair Debt Collection Practices Clarification Act of 2012

Plain summary

Fair Debt Collection Practices Clarification Act of 2012 - Amends the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to revise the disclaimer of liability for any act done or omitted in good faith in conformity with any advisory opinion of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Exempts from liability, in addition, acts done or omitted in good faith in compliance with any rule, regulation, or interpretation of the CFPB, or in conformity with any interpretation or approval by a CFPB official or employee duly authorized to issue such interpretations or approvals. Permits a debt collector to leave messages for a consumer regarding the collection of a debt on the consumer's answering machine, voice messaging system, or similar device, including in an initial communication with the consumer, so long as the message complies with regulations prescribed by the CFPB to ensure the preservation of consumer privacy and other rights, including restrictions on communications with third parties. Prohibits a debt collector from initiating a legal action on a debt in an arbitration setting, or requiring the consumer to resolve by arbitration a collection-related dispute on the debt, unless the consumer has agreed in writing to resolution by arbitration after collections activities have been initiated and a legal action or dispute has arisen.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Fair Debt Collection Practices Clarification Act of 2012

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Frank, Barney [D-MA-4] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr4101.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr4101 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112